Footballer jailed for assault.

[loulou]

Newcastle footballer Joey Barton has been jailed for 6 months for assault and affray.

Barton, 25, was captured on CCTV in Liverpool on 27 December 2007 punching one man 20 times before an attack which left a teenage boy with broken teeth.

I don't think he should be allowed to play football again. Kevin Keegan says he will support him but I am sure if any of us committed a crime and went to prison for it our jobs would not be held for us.

[smurfboy]

I'm in two minds. On one hand I think he's a horrible little thug and would be horrified if he signed for my team. On the other hand, I think it's up to the justice system to hand out punishments, which they have with his sentence - not a football club or body.

[loulou]

The football club are his employers so I think they should adopt the same policies any other employer would and sack him.

[oldspice]

I agree with Smurfy that he's a nasty little thug and I agree with lou that most employees could not expect their employer to hold open a job when they are in jail (I would be struck off) but on the other hand, playing football is probably the best thing to keep him out of more trouble. If he was jobless he'd most probably be causing even more trouble. It seems he comes from a violent family.

[paulham]

It also seems to give a lot of them an over-estimated opinion of their own worth/self importance.

[smurfboy]

The football club are his employers so I think they should adopt the same policies any other employer would and sack him.

Noble idea in theory, but if Tesco were his employer, they wouldn't have paid £5m to poach him from Asda - it's not as if they can just put an ad for a replacement in the Evening Mail.

[loulou]

maybe he could still play but give some of his earnings to the young boy he attacked